The Boston Celtics were by far the greatest NBA club during the 2023-24 regular season. Despite several stumbles down the line, the club finished with the top overall seed in the postseason.
With all roads to the NBA Championship passing through Boston, the Celtics have a strong chance of capturing another Larry O’Brien Trophy. The arrival of point guard Jrue Holiday has contributed significantly to their success this season.
During the 2023 NBA summer, the Celtics made some big moves to shake up their core. They’ve moved on from Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, and Malcolm Brogdon. Kristaps Porzingis and Holiday replaced them in separate transactions.
Both players thrived with their new team. Porzingis is arguably the best third option in the NBA, successfully playing off of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While Holiday’s role offensively shrunk compared to previous seasons, he had the best shooting season of his career.
Holiday knocked down a career-high 42.9 percent of his 3-point attempts. He was efficient on offense and brought the same tenacity and effort defensively that he has become known for. There are some similarities between what he and Smart bring to the table, but the team’s performance has been taken to another level.
That performance was rewarded by the Celtics in the form of a massive contract extension. Holiday agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension that will keep him under contract through 2028.
It was a deal that Celtics general manager Brad Stevens was very happy about. He recently spoke about the extension and what Holiday brought to the team, as he is a huge part of the winning culture that has been growing.
Brad Stevens talks about the decision to re-sign Jrue Holiday to a contract extension pic.twitter.com/96vCpssXTp
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 16, 2024
Holiday has championship experience, which might help the Celtics overcome their obstacles. He helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA championship in 2021 and will now seek to help Boston accomplish the same feat.
In his debut season with the Celtics, Holiday averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. While his numbers aren’t as spectacular as they once were, he’s been a highly successful player, helping the Celtics win at an astounding rate.
